Toy



April 1968 A. GOODRUM, JR 3,377,738

TOY

Filed Dec. 15, 1965 INVENTOR Leo Allen Goodrum,dr.

ATTORNEY United States Patent Oflice 3,377,738 Patented Apr. 16, 1968Filed Dec. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 514,091 2 Claims. (Cl. 461) This inventionrelates to a simple toy or game device for small children who enjoygames of make believe.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, andharmless toy or game device for the amusement of small children, as whentraveling by automobile.

The game device of the invention includes a rectangular piece oftransparent plastic flexible sheet material having an affinity for glassand which will adhere to the inside of an automobile window, forexample, and having a representation of a gun sight, bomb sight, or thelike, and of an instrument panel, thereon.

A smaller piece of like plastic flexible sheet material, shaped ashereinafter described, is secured to one side of the first piece by heatsealing around its peripheral edges to form a fully enclosed, fluidtight pocket, and a body of colored liquid is received in the pocket.

An elongated intermediate portion of the pocket, which is generallytubular, may simulate the upstanding front sight on a gun barrel, forexample. A bulbous end portion of the pocket, which may be positionedlowermost, may be compressed whereby the colored liquid is caused torise in the tubular intermediate portion and to appear in the oppositeend portion of the pocket, which is enlarged and is shaped to simulatean explosion pattern. The enlarged upper end portion of the pocket,which unlike the remainder of the pocket is transparent, is posi tionedcentrally of the simulated gun sight.

In use the game device of the invention may be applied to the inside ofan automobile window, for example, with the pocket containing the bodyof colored liquid facing inwardly, and the small operator will proceedto endow the device with all manner of capabilities, as limited only bysuch images as he may be able to conjure up, which of course approachesthe infinite.

Plike (meaning play like) this is the most powerful gun in the wholeworld, he may suggest to an equally enthusiastic companion; or Plikethis is a homing missile with a nuclear war head; or Plike this is a raygun that projects a laser beam.

Having declared the name of the game, the operator will carefully drawan imaginary bead on a selected target, and then at the optimum moment,when the device is on target and the chances for a kill are judged to bebest, he Will press the button comprising the bulbous end portion of thepocket and unleash the whole fury of the device. The body of coloredliquid will be displaced from the bulbous end portion of the pocket andwill appear in the enlarged opposite end portion thereof, in a simulatedexplosion pattern positioned centrally of the simulated gun sight orbomb sight, as the case may be, and in alignment with the target, withimprovised sound effects as desired.

Upon releasing the pressure applied to the bulbous lower end portion ofthe pocket, the colored liquid will drain from the transparent, enlargedupper end portion of the pocket, which is shaped to simulate anexplosion pattern, as described, and the device may be fired againimmediately, as rapidly and as often as desired.

The toy or game device of the invention is adapted to be rolled up, andmay be stored in a small space when not in use.

The invention will be readily understood by referring to the followingdescription and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. I is an elevational view showing a game device embodying theinvention as applied to the inside of an automobile window, shownfragmentarily;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view on an enlarged scale taken on theline 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing the body of colored liquid received in thebulbous lower end portion of the pocket; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing in their detachedpositions the two pieces of plastic flexible sheet material which formbetween them the fully enclosed, fluid tight pocket having the body ofcolored liquid received therein.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates generally anautomobile window, shown fragmentarily in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the numeral2 indicates generally a toy or game device embodying the invention, oneside of which is shown in FIG. 1, which as shown is applied to theinside of the automobile window 1.

The toy or game device 2 includes a rectangular piece of transparentplastic flexible sheet material 3 having an aflinity for glass and whichwill adhere to the inside of the automobile window 1, and having arepresentation of a gun sight, bomb sight, or the like, indicated by thenumeral 4, and a representation of an instrument panel 5, thereon.

The transparent plastic flexible sheet material 3 advantageously maycomprise a selected material characterized by its toughness and itstensile strength and which is resistant to puncture as well as tearing,although it may be readily cut, as in forming the device.

A smaller piece of like plastic flexible sheet material 6, shaped ashereinafter described, is secured to one side of the first piece 3 byheat sealing around its peripheral edges, as at 7, to form a fullyenclosed, fluid tight pocket 8, and a body of colored liquid 9 isreceived in the pocket 8.

An elongated intermediate portion 10 of the pocket 8, which is generallytubular, may simulate the upstanding front sight on a gun barrel, forexample. A bulbous end portion 11 of the pocket 8, which may bepositioned lowermost, normally has a major portion of the body ofcolored liquid 9 received therein. The pocket 8 has an end portion 12opposite the end portion 11 which is enlarged and is shaped to simulatean explosion pattern. The enlarged upper end portion 12 of the pocket 8is positioned centrally of the simulated gun sight or bomb sight 4.

The portion of the smaller piece of plastic flexible sheet material 6which corresponds to the enlarged upper end portion 12 of the pocket 8,unlike the remainder of said piece, is transparent, and the arrangementis such that upon compressing the bulbous end portion 11 of the pocket 8the colored liquid 9 is caused to rise in the tubular intermediateportion 10 and to appear in the enlarged upper end portion 12, which isshaped to simulate an explosion pattern, as described, and is positionedcentrally of the simulated gun sight, bomb sight, or the like 4, whereit is visible.

Obviously the device of the invention has no moving parts except theflexible, bulbous end portion 10 of the pocket 8 and the body of coloredliquid 9, and aiming and sighting of the device preparatory to firing itis accomplished only by movement of the automobile relative to aselected target.

While the invention is simple it is nevertheless new and useful, and isbelieved to have real sales appeal from the standpoint of the smalloperator for whom it is intended. But whatever claim of greatness theinvention may have, it is great only because said operator, who isindeed great notwithstanding his small size, has so endowed it. Becauseof him the game of make believe is big business.

The invention may be modified in various ways without departing from thespirit and scope thereof.

I claim:

1. In an amusement device for children for attachment to the inside ofan automobile window, the combination of a first piece of transparentplastic flexible sheet material having a representation of a gun sight,and of an instrument panel, thereon, a second piece of plastic flexiblesheet material, relatively smaller than said first piece, secured to oneside of the first piece by heat sealing around its peripheral edges toform a fully enclosed, fluid tight pocket, and a body of colored liquidreceived in the pocket, the pocket having an elongated, generallytubular intermediate portion simulating the upstanding front sight on agun barrel, and having a bulbous lower end portion normally having amajor portion of the body of colored liquid received therein, and havingan enlarged upper end portion, shaped to simulate an explosion pattern,positioned centrally of the simulated gun sight.

2. The structure of claim 1, the portion of the second piece of plasticflexible sheet material corresponding to the enlarged upper end portionof the pocket, unlike the remainder of said piece, being transparent,and the arrangement being such that upon compressing the bulbous lowerend portion of the pocket the colored liquid is caused to rise in thetubular intermediate portion thereof and to appear in the enlarged upperend portion, where it is visible.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,341,985 6/1920 Kemp 46135 LOUISG. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

C. R. WENTZEL, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN AN AMUSEMENT DEVICE FOR CHILDREN FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE INSIDE OFAN AUTOMOBILE WINDOW, THE COMBINATION OF A FIRST PIECE OF TRANSPARENTPLASTIC FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL HAVING A REPRESENTATION OF A GUN SIGHT,AND OF AN INSTRUMENT PANEL, THEREON, A SECOND PIECE OF PLASTIC FLEXIBLESHEET MATERIAL, RELATIVELY SMALLER THAN SAID FIRST PIECE, SECURED TO ONESIDE OF THE FIRST PIECE BY HEAT SEALING AROUND ITS PERIPHERAL EDGES TOFORM A FULLY ENCLOSED, FLUID TIGHT POCKET, AND A BODY OF COLORED LIQUIDRECEIVED IN THE POCKET, THE POCKET HAVING AN ELONGATED, GENERALLYTUBULAR INTERMEDIATE PORTION SIMULATING THE UPSTANDING FRONT SIGHT ON AGUN BARREL, AND HAVING A BULBOUS LOWER END PORTION NORMALLY HAVING AMAJOR PORTION OF THE BODY OF COLORED LIQUID RECEIVED THEREIN, AND HAVINGAN ENLARGED UPPER END PORTION, SHAPED TO SIMULATE AN EXPLOSION PATTERN,POSITIONED CENTRALLY OF THE SIMULATED GUN SIGHT.